The Leelanau wine peninsula and the bay shore

The Leelanau Peninsula forms the western shore of Grand Traverse Bay. M-22, the famous scenic highway, loops around it past water, orchards, and vineyards. This is wine country. Of the two well-known wine peninsulas around Traverse City, Leelanau is the larger one. Dozens of wineries and tasting rooms tuck into its rolling hills. Cool air off the surrounding water gives the grapes (and the cherries and apples) a long, gentle growing season.

The hub of this side of the peninsula is Suttons Bay, an artsy, walkable village on its own little inlet of the bay. Its downtown holds shops, restaurants, a community-owned movie theater, and a marina. The 45th parallel crosses M-22 just north of town, marked by a roadside sign. That’s the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole. A few miles up the shore is Peshawbestown. It’s the home of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the tribe’s Leelanau Sands Casino. At the south end, close to Traverse City, the Elmwood Township area around Greilickville is the county’s most populated corner. It’s an easy gateway to the city’s stores and services.

For buyers, this is a sought-after stretch. Bay frontage and water-view lots carry a premium. There’s wine-country acreage, in-town village living in Suttons Bay, and more convenient close-to-town property near Greilickville. As with any waterfront, look carefully at how your lot meets the water. Take a hard look at the condition of any older septic system too (see the well-and-septic note).